One Condition
by CriminalIntelligence
Summary: There was a reason that he didn't like the idea of her becoming a firefighter, and it was a valid reason. But he would rather have her in his life, even if she was a fighter then to not have her at all. So he supported her; because he loved her and he wanted her to be happy. His only condition was that she would be careful. Dawsey-Centric


**Just a little one-shot that I wrote on my phone while on the bus before winter break. Forgot it was on my phone until recently, when I got it beta'd by my best friend. Thanks a bunch Lupin 3, so here it is.**

**Pairing: Dawson/Casey**

Summary: When Dawson wanted to become a firefighter, Casey agreed on one condition, that she wouldn't get hurt. So what happens when the one condition gets broken?

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One Condition

There was a reason that he didn't like the idea of her becoming a firefighter, and it was a valid reason. But he would rather have her in his life, even if she was a fighter then to not have her at all. So he supported her; because he loved her and he wanted her to be happy. His only condition was that she would be careful. And it was a reasonable condition, considering it was the same condition she had for him too. And their little agreement had lasted, up until this moment.

His body was on autopilot focusing on where the sickening beep was coming from.

"Gabby!" He called, praying to God that his girlfriend would respond. No response. He tried again.  
The beeping was getting louder and louder then he heard Mills, "Lieutenant, she's over here!"

Matt Casey ran as fast as he could through the burning building to where the candidate's voice came from.

"She's pinned," he stated the obvious, and even at the moment Matt couldn't help but to roll his eyes. But Mills was right; Gabby was pinned under a wooden beam that had fallen across her body diagonally. Her breathing was shallow and jagged and she was falling in and out of consciousness.

"Gabby, baby!" He hoped to get some sort of reaction but to no avail. He started barking orders at his team as he tried to keep himself calm. It took all he had to not attempt to push the beam off of her and potently injuring her even more. And if he was honest with himself, that single thought of her going through even more pain stopped him and made him wait for help to arrive.

"On three lift. One, two, three!"

Otis, Herrmann, Mills and Severide (who had only been a few seconds behind him) lifted the beam as Matt pulled Gabby from underneath.

Gently, and with the help of his best friend, he lifted her into her arms and waved off the others trying to help him carry her. Running purely on adrenaline and fear he made his way to the exit of the building.

The rain pounded like fists on his back as he laid her softly on the ground and removed both of their helmets. His breath hitched when he saw the blood on Gabby's face. It ran down the side of her temple and matted her hair slightly.

He scanned her body for any injuries that had been missed while Shay removed the vast majority of her gear. As Gabby's jacket was cut off slowly he saw the bruising that started at the top of her left shoulder and ended at her right hip. He didn't doubt that it continues down and along her back.

He wasn't paying much attention to what Shay was saying. But his body knew what it wanted and needed to do; save her.

He held onto her hand delicately and stared at her. Fully aware of the tears running down his soot covered face. Vaguely, he remembers noticing Shay looking up at him with a sad smile.

"She'll be okay, Casey." She tried, but he just nodded, knowing deep down that she said that for her own benefit as well. He hoped she was right, he wanted to believe her. But he couldn't; not when he was wearing his girlfriend's blood. He felt as if his world was crashing down around him. He felt even more broken, even more hopeless than he had when Hallie died. And he realized this is what Gabby must have felt like six months before, when it was him lying there instead. He brushed his hand over the faded scar that occupied from just above his eyebrow to past his hairline. Then moving his fingers gently and numbly across her face, being careful of her cut on her forehead, he brushed back a few loose strands of her curly brunette hair.

He blamed himself and he knew that it was apparent to Shay and Severide, whom he didn't realize had been in the front seat, next to Chout, until moments before. But really he didn't care, because it was his fault. He is her lieutenant. Her boyfriend. It is his job to keep her safe, both on and off the job. And he had failed, obviously, or she wouldn't have been there.

The doors to the back of the ambulance opened, and Matt hopped out, giving them the space they needed to unload her, and following behind as the doctors began accessing what had happened, Shay relaying the information of best friend's condition.

"Two broken ribs, concussion, fractured skull, possible internal bleeding..." he blocked her out, not wanting to hear the rest of what she had to say, but he still followed along, until he felt himself being held back.

"Severide let me go!" He yelled at his friend, a dreaded sense of de-ja-vu washing over him. "I need to see her, I can't leave her" his voice softened with each statement, and he fought less, and less against his best friend, knowing that he couldn't follow.

"She is in good hands Matt, she will be fine." He heard, yet he still didn't believe him, didn't believe anyone who tried to console him. And he wouldn't believe them, he wouldn't believe anyone until he held her in his arms, and she held him back.

He moved over to the wall, next to a row of chairs, taking off his gear before sliding down against it, sitting with his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees, and he cried. He could practically feel the adrenaline rush leaving him as he tried to wrap his head around what had happened.

He couldn't lose her, she was everything to him, and if she...

'No, don't think that way' he scolded himself.

He didn't know how long had passed when someone in scrubs came in. Scrubs covered in blood.

"Is there a Matthew Casey around?" His head snapped up as he heard his name and he stood, nodding his head, not trusting himself with words.

"Gabriela has suffered from a penetrating trauma to her brain causing internal bleeding, so we have to perform an emergency craniotomy, which is-"

"Do whatever, just save her." Matt didn't want to hear how bad it was, he just wanted her back. The doctor walked off and he took to pacing the floor in front of his two friends, needing something to do but not wanting to leave the waiting room.

He didn't know how long he kept to pacing the floors, but when he looked up, he saw that the rest of the team had arrived.

"How is she?" Boden asked, and he looked over at Shay as well, taking in what she said.

"She has two broken ribs, a fractured skull, a concussion and she is in surgery for penetrating trauma to her skull." He let the information sink in and a tear fell out of the corner of his eye. He looked down once more, and was barely aware of yet another hand, trying to comfort him; he looked over to see Antonio, standing next to him, just as worried as he was. No words were exchanged and Matt was glad. He couldn't talk.

The long, continuous beep coming from down the hall alerted him and the team watched as he raced down the hallway.

"Gabby!" He cried, racing off towards her room, his heart beating a mile a minute. He stopped in front of the OR she was in just as he heard the rhythm of the beeping return. Sighing, he went to take a step forward, when a hand stopped him.

"Matt, come on, you don't need to see her like this" Shay whispered next to him, and he shook his head as he followed her, almost zombie-like.

"I can't Shay, I can't lose her." She nodded her head and pulled him in for a hug, as he felt her own tears fall onto his t-shirt.

"Shay, I love her..." he whimpered,

"I know Matt, we all know." She gave him another sad smile, before returning to her place on Kelly's lap. And he returned to pacing, his heart in his stomach ever since he heard her flat line.

"Mr. Casey?" A new nurse came out, but Matt didn't hear her. He didn't hear anything, or notice anything for that matter, until someone punched his arm, not so lightly.

"Matt!" Antonio called, his voice loud but kind. He looked up to the woman in front of him. The look on her face did not ease his worries.

"How is she?" He asked and the woman looked at him, her face completely blank.

"We've managed to relieve the internal bleed and she is being taken to recovery."

Matt felt faint, he felt excitement, he believed what Shay told him earlier.

"Can I go see her?" He breathed and she nodded.

"One at a time." He looked over at Antonio, and he nodded. Matt smiled a little before running to her room. He stopped in front of the door, bracing himself for what he was about to see, although he knew it was no use.

"Oh, Gabby" his voice broke as he saw her, pale and bruised. With stitches along the side of her head, and wires and tubes connecting her to machines, making her look fragile. She would kick her ass in an instant if she heard what he was thinking, knowing she rarely ever showed her soft side, and when she did, it was in the privacy of either his place or hers. Sitting down next to her, he grabbed her hands and lowered his head, giving her forehead a light kiss.

"What happened to our agreement baby?" He whispered, and then went to move his head next to hers and he closed his eyes.

* * *

_"You know I think you'd be an amazing firefighter Gabby, but I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you." He told her, pushing a stray hair out of her face as they lay next to each other in bed, and even though she wasn't happy she couldn't help the small smile that graced her face for a few moments._

_"How do you think I feel? I watch you go into burning buildings on a regular basis, Matt, you almost died less than a month ago, and it wasn't the first time it's happened either." Her eyes were shiny as she said this and Matt felt horrible, and pulled her close to his chest. _

_"I'm okay though, see, I am still here, and I'm not going anywhere, not anytime soon." He whispered in her hair and she pulled back._

_"But Matt, don't you get it, it's the same with me, I have the same chance of getting hurt as you, both as a paramedic and as a firefighter." He sighed, understanding that she had a point and gave in._

_"On one condition?" He asked and she nodded "That you agree to be careful." _

_"Okay, as long as you agree to the same thing." She smiled, giving him a kiss, before curling back into his side._

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Blinking he looked around, realizing he had fallen asleep, and looking over, he glanced at the clock on the wall. 12:43pm. He had been asleep for almost two hours.

"Hey baby, you've got to wake up soon, everyone is waiting to hear your gorgeous voice." He whispered. When nothing happened he sighed, and he stood up, moving down the railing on her hospital bed, and crawled up next to her, careful not to bump any of the wires attached to her. He caressed her matted hair, and gently kissed her lips, then rested his head alongside hers. The door creaked open and he closed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to just be with her alone.

"Seems he relocated his sleeping arrangements." A voice males' voice snickered.

"Antonio, give him a break" Severide laughed and he heard a smack.

"You too Kelly, he was so scared he was going to lose her." Shay scolded the two, and he heard footsteps approaching the bed.

"G'night little sis, take care of her Casey." Antonio whispered, still assuming that he was asleep. As he heard the door close he opened his eyes once more.

"I'll always take care of you." He murmured to her, "Because I love you. And neither of those things will ever change." He felt a shift of body weight next to him, before her brown eyes opened and met his blue ones.

"I love you too, Matt, and that won't change for me either" She whispered, curling into his chest. And he kissed her gently, pressing the call button before murmuring to her.

"Never do that to me again."

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**So? Thoughts? Comments? Review!**


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